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Eugenio López y López Killed

On 23 June 2017, human rights defender Eugenio López y López was killed while participating in a protest of former workers of the San Gregorio Piedra Parada estate, in Coatepeque, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala.

About Eugenio López y López

Eugenio López y López was a member of San Gregorio Piedra Parada estate former workers' movement. The movement was created in 2008 when it emerged that the estate had never paid social security for its 260 workers in spite of its obligation to do so. The movement has struggled since its creation to bring justice to the workers who spent more than 30 years working in the estate and had their labour rights violated.

On 23 June 2017, human rights defender Eugenio López y López was killed while participating in a protest of former workers of the San Gregorio Piedra Parada estate, in Coatepeque, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala.

On 23 June 2017, around 6 am, a group of approximately 25 former workers of the San Gregorio Piedra Parada estate and their relatives gathered on the road to Pacayá village, in order to peacefully protest for their rights. One unidentified man came from the estate with part of his face covered and fired four gunshots against the protesters. Eugenio López y López was killed on the spot, while Israel Méndez Vásquez and Berta López Escobar were severely injured. Since the incident, a group of 200 supporters, former workers and relatives gathered in front of the estate to demand justice for the killing. The human rights defenders and organizations in Guatemala believe that the attacker was a member of the private security of the estate.

The San Gregorio Piedra Parada estate currently belongs to the Quintanal Paiz family, one of the richest in the country, whose investments revolve around the production of sugar cane, ethanol, electricity, real estate, banks, with investments in Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. For 30 years, the San Gregorio Piedra Parada estate swindled 260 workers by deducting their monthly contribution to social security without transferring it to the Guatemalan Social Security Institute (IGSS). When the workers tried to retire, with ages between 70 and 95 years, they realised that their quotas had not been transferred and therefore could not receive their social security payments.

For nine years, the former workers' movement has appealed to various government institutions, such as the Ministry of Labour, to ensure that their demands are met. Due to a lack of response by state institutions and by the estate, which refused to engage in negotiations, the former workers decided to organise protests at the entrance of the property. The authorities have reacted with violence and attempts of criminalisation. About 19 human rights defenders are currently facing charges, including trespassing and instigation to commit crimes, and arrest warrants have been issued against four of them: Elmar Danilo Pérez Escobar, Digna Dalila Mérida Escobar, Ricardo Alberto Pérez Castillo, and Francisco Vásquez Oxlaj.

This judicial harassment follows a well-established pattern of criminalisation of land, environmental and indigenous rights defenders in Guatemala. As the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights stated in its 2016 report on the criminalisation of human rights defenders, it is common for arrest warrants to be issued against defenders and then only executed at crucial moments, which proves detrimental to their struggle.

Front Line Defenders condemns the killing of Eugenio López y López as well as the criminalisation of former workers of the San Gregorio Piedra Parada estate, since it believes that the acts carried out against them are solely motivated by their work in defence of their labour rights.

Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in Guatemala to:

1. Strongly condemn the killing of Eugenio López y López;

2. Carry out an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into the killing of Eugenio López y López with a view to publishing the results and bringing those responsible to justice in accordance with international standards;

3. Drop all charges against human rights defenders former workers of San Gregorio Piedra Parada estate, as Front Line Defenders believes that they are being criminalised solely as a result of their legitimate and peaceful work in the defence of the environment;

4. Take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity and security of all the members of San Gregorio Piedra Parada estate former workers' movement;

5. Refrain from misusing the justice system to intimidate, harass and discredit human rights defenders;

6. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Guatemala are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions.